CC PACKET 10141997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I 1g MEMORANDUM DATE.: October 3, 1997 TO: Mike Morrison, City Manager FROM: Dick Johnson, Fire Chief ITEM: Flood Task Force Recommendations Initial response - The Fire Department and the Public Works department presently respond when streets begin to flood. The problem lies in the fact that it would require 10 vehicles and 25 - 30 personnel to barracade the main roads which are flooded and clean off the grates at these locations. The side streets would require an additional 5 vehicles and 10 personnel. The Fire Department can provide 5 vehicles and about 15 - 20 personnel, which means that our resources are consumed by the time we reach St. Anthony Boulevard. • As for a premature response when rain is predicted, this suggestion would add about $1,500 - $2,000 to our personnel budget. Furthermore, the grates are clean until the wind and the moving water carry tree branches and litter to them. The grates don't usually clog until well after the storm begins. The overtime costs for Public Works personnel to follow this suggestion would probably exceed those of the Fire Department. Incidentally, people don't drive on the lawns to avoid the water, they do so to avoid the unstaffed barracades. I once observed a motorist.(sober) drive into a tree to get around a barracade. She was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Generators - One problem with this suggestion is what do we tell the seventh caller asking for a generator? Another problem is storage space and vehicles and personnel (see above) to distribute and set up these units. I would suggest that the City compile a list of residents who would like to purchase a generator (about $400 retail). The City could then purchase these generators at a volume discount and resell them to the residents. The advantage of residents owning their own generators it that they could be used during any power outage to maintain furnaces, freezers, and refrigerators as well as sump pumps.